A Twisted Faeritale
by Natsumiya Teirin
Summary: It was exactly the kind of story no one would suspect. The villain wasn't supposed to fall for the prince, and he wasn't supposed to become the hero. But that's what happened. And now he has quite the dimension-hopping journey ahead of him. Surely it'll all be worth it though, right? Based off the anime Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles (but with a good amount of twists).
1. Moebius

_Standing in the odd void of prophetic dreams, Draco Malfoy, youngest Seer in all of Hogwarts, tried and failed to curb his rage at the Sight before him._

 _Harry- his prince, his beloved- was smiling, gazing lovingly into the red eyes of someone who might've been only vaguely familiar to him- someone whom his father had mentioned in passing, but never specific enough for anyone to get a good description of. Well, he had his description now._

 _And he was not happy with it._

 _Like all citizens of Hogwarts, Draco wanted his prince- his kind, selfless prince Harry- to be happy, but...but...! Selfish as his namesake, Draco only wanted Harry by his side! Any future where he was with someone else- looking into someone else's eyes, holding a hand different from his,_ loving _anyone who was not Draco Malfoy- was a future he would never allow!_

 _From behind him, the mists of time and space, in their pale ephemerality, billowed out, carrying with them a faint chime, only discernable to those sensitive to magic. Startled, Draco turned._

 _Why would_ she _be here?_

 _The Dimensional Witch, dressed in flowing blue robes, with bare feet and radishes dangling from her ears, smiled at him, as if she understood the entirety of the universe and all those alongside it- and she_ did _of course, because why wouldn't she?_

 _She stepped forward, the bare bottom of her foot somehow echoing against the Prophetic void, which had frozen in place._

 _"Draco Malfoy..." she murmured, the words only just audible, "...do you wish to change this future?"_

 _Unthinking of the consequences, Draco was quick to answer, "yes! I wish to change this future!"_

 _The Dimensional Witch's smile took on a cryptic quality._

 _"In that case, in exchange for such a wish, your price is..."_

And just like that, Draco woke up with the feeling that he'd changed something important, but he couldn't remember what he had changed, or even how he'd accomplished it.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **~Hogwarts Country~**_

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The country of Hogwarts was one of tall, fruitful trees, vast plains, and eternally warm weather (except in summer, where it increased from simply 'warm' to 'oh Merlin my insides are being boiled as we speak'). Because of this constant heat, the only animals one could expect to see in broad daylight were scaled, coldblooded monsters with venomous fangs and varying numbers of appendages that were either more or less than four.

At night, when it was cooler and everyone else was asleep, the furred beasts came out to play, with claws sharper than steel and teeth tougher than diamond, or so the stories said. Everyone was holed up in the great castle, most having been born there, others coming to die there, all out of fear of the unknown. Only one man had stepped outside, and he'd never returned to the castle. Rumors said he'd found other people- tribes who'd conquered the wilderness- and started a kingdom of his own. But it was more likely he'd died, either dehydrated or mauled by some beast (or maybe even both).

This was largely ignored by most, save for the king and queen (who, by the way, were chosen via election) who made it their business to know what fate befell every citizen of their castle.

So when the prince was kidnapped and a ransom note received 'from the Walpurgis Knights', king James and queen Lily knew exactly who it was that'd taken him, and risked sending out a good chunk of their army to hunt him down.

Six months, and the hunt was still going strong, as the king's men had found out that in daylight, there really wasn't anything to be afraid of.

Six months, and no one knew for sure whether prince Hadrian was alive or not.

Six months...

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Idly, Harry paced the circumference of the throne room of what he'd affectionately named Walpurgis-Kastell. He was dressed in the same white, red, and gold robes he'd been in when he'd first been taken and held captive, beneath a soft red cloak that'd been a sort of wedding gift from Mulciber. Though he should've associated these clothes with bad things, today was a special, happy day, and he wouldn't want to taint that.

Walpurgis-Kastell- that is, the hideout of the Walpurgis Knights, led by Tom Riddle, the Man-Who-Left- was really just a set of ruins a few days' trek from the castle of Hogwarts. The rooms were made of stone, of course, but everything else was made up of wood and fabric (metal was reserved for weapons). Though everything was grand in its own right, the throne room was, at least to Harry, the best of all, if not because of how comforting and familiar the magic within felt, then because of its unusual appearance compared to the rest of the structure.

It was like a hollowed out cylinder, but the ceiling was so high it was near impossible to see. At the wall behind the throne, there was a patch of stone cut into a circle with a pair of wings depicted on it. It matched the design on the floor, actually, save for the line cutting the circle in half- a split suggesting something was hidden beneath the room. When he'd asked, Tom had told him he had yet to discover just what was down there, or how to even open the way down at all.

It was a strange mystery, one that Harry wasn't sure he could help figure out. Though Tom had said he could try and help after the ceremony...

The Knights of Walpurgis had all moved into these ruins a good century or two ago, and Tom had stumbled upon them by chance. They were hostile at first, but according to Tom, they'd admired his cunning and charisma, and made him their king.

Harry had the feeling there was something more- some underlying truth that he had yet to figure out. But now was hardly the time to ponder such things.

Multiple sets of footsteps alerted him to Tom's presence, and those of his Knights.

It was finally time.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _It's finally time..._

Sirius Black, captain of Dumbledore's Army- named after the first king of Hogwarts after the deaths of its founders- squared his shoulders and turned to face his men. They were all turned in his direction, but none of them were actually looking at him. Their attention was on the wing-shaped ruins behind him, arching into the sunset sky.

Like him, they wanted to get their prince back. That was all the morale they needed.

 _Harry...all this time,_ this _is where they kept you? So close..._

"Men! Forward march!"

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The ceremony would be conducted in the throne room, if not for the symbolism, then for the magic saturating the place that would surely help the process.

Tom was dressed in billowing black robes with subtle silver and green patterns along the shoulders and hem- a mirror to Harry's, which were identical in all but color scheme. Either it was a beautiful coincidence, or those just happened to be the ritualistic robes of the Knights.

In either case, they suited him well, and Harry couldn't keep the blush from his face. Tom went to stand beside him and wrapped a possessive arm around his waist. There came a chuckle from near the front of the group.

Rodolphus was acting as the bonder.

"Are you both ready?" He asked, his voice amused.

"Quite," Tom said shortly.

"Then, if you would both kneel at the center of the room..."

 _OooOooOooOooO_

With their weapons out and their guards up, the members of Dumbledore's Army crept through the halls of the ancient structure. It was eerily quiet and bereft of guards, at least, so far. But one could never be too careful.

Pausing, Sirius cocked his head. From a relatively close room, he could hear what sounded like chanting. Ritualistic chanting.

He turned around to face Remus, the priest, who'd joined him.

"Get out your compass. I think I know where they are."

With a nod Sirius could only see in the dim lighting because of his animagi enhancements, his partner pulled his golden compass out from a drawstring pouch tied around his waist. He opened it with a click and mumbled into it a single word.

" _Concutio_."

Then he snapped it shut and slid it back into the pouch.

Sirius made to take a step forward and Remus sighed, knowing exactly what his friend was thinking.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to wait for the others? The Knights of Walpurgis are savages- it'd be dangerous to face them by ourselves."

"Oh, Moony, you worry too much. I'm a _Black_ , remember?" He grinned, fully aware that only Remus would see it, and curled his hand around the hilt of his sword.

"We're just as savage as them. Now, c'mon- the others'll find us quickly enough on their own."

Sirius charged forward- thankfully without the war cry this time- and Remus reluctantly followed.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The ceremony was proceeding smoothly, in part because Tom and Harry had complimentary magical signatures- poison masculine energy and lively feminine energy, respectively, one to destroy and one to create- and also because there hadn't been any interruptions.

And, of course, because Rodolphus was familiar with the ritual.

It was a type of binding ritual, wherein the participants would become soulbound so tightly, they would force the hands of fate to bring them together, so they'd last through that lifetime, all those after it, and even those that existed parallel to it. Before, it was done by elderly couples, or else very new ones that were especially worried for their relationship.

Rodolphus had acted as the bonder for his own parents, as well as Bellatrix and Rabastian (only because he cared more about his wife's happiness than their marital status), so this would be his third time binding a couple together.

Harry and Tom had already shared of the Elixir Of Eternal Life (a mix of corn oil and various herbs and spices that probably tasted much worse than the name of the brew implied) and bathed each other in their magical signatures. All that was left to do was invoke upon the magic in the air, have them take the oath, exchange blood, and make love.

Harry's eyes were already glazed over- a good sign, since it meant his magic and soul were both in agreement with each other and fully enveloped in the ritual. It was to be expected of feminine energy, which would often give towards the masculine first before taking anything, but especially so since Harry was sensitive to magic.

Satisfied that things were going as they should, Rodolphus opened his arms, resting his staff flat against his palms and across the width of his body. And then, in the ancient tongues of Hogwarts, from back when it was Novescotia, he began to chant.

 _Tha mi a 'gairm air na draoidhean bho chionn fhada._

 _Tha mi ag iarraidh air gràdh leannan a chaidh a chall fada._

 _Bidh mi a 'toirt a-steach an t-seann deas-_

A startled shout from Rosier drew his attention for a split second, though he tried awfully hard to stay focused. Immediately, the Knights surrounding the three of them drew their weapons.

Rodolphus forced himself to focus on the ritual, but it seemed the damage was done.

Harry had not snapped back to reality as he should've, but his posture went rigid, and he started to stand.

"Harry? Harry, what's wrong? Harry!"

Tom stepped back and sent a look at Rodolphus that would've killed him had such a thing been possible.

"What. Did. You. Do."

Before he could answer, two men forced their way through the ring of Knights. One of them had his sword pointed at Tom.

" _What the hell did you do to my godson!?_ " He snarled, baring his teeth much like a rabid dog.

Harry began to glow, his entire being lighting up with the red tint of his magic.

"Tha an ceum air fhosgladh ..." he intoned, his voice emotionless. The ground began to shake, and Tom stepped back further. He tried to pull Harry with him, but the boy wouldn't budge, as if he were being held in place by something. His magic? The magic of the room? He didn't know, and there wasn't time to find out.

The floor beneath them split along the diameter of the winged circle, and Tom was forced to jump back to avoid falling. However, even then, as everyone else could only watch in awed silence, Harry stayed where he was, stable as if the ground hadn't abruptly left his feet.

And then, he began to descend down the hole that'd opened up- slowly, as if he were a feather drifting on a light breeze.

With a curse, Tom reached behind him and drew Rabastian's sword from the scabbard that'd hung from the man's belt, then jumped down the hole after Harry. Remus followed, snatching a dagger that'd ended up on the floor. Sirius shook himself then followed, keeping a tight grip on his own sword.

The trio landed at the base of the hole with a loud, heavier sort of clacking sound- a clonk, it might be called- and Tom was admittedly surprised to see that it opened into a large room- like the throne room, but bigger, and where the throne was, there was a stone altar. The wing motif was still largely present though.

But there was no sign of Harry, who they should've passed- should've _grabbed_ \- as they fell.

The wall above the altar glowed red, and Tom scrambled to his feet. He could hear swords clanging from above, and idly wondered what had happened in the few seconds that'd passed, but all thought was lost as soon as he saw Harry emerge _from the wall_.

With glowing red wings- like the fiery wings of a phoenix- unfurled from his back, in full display.

As Tom watched, with a sinking feeling, the wings began to curl in on themselves, threatening to envelope Harry completely.

As beautiful as this was, though, Tom had the nagging feeling that this was very, very wrong.

Discarding the sword he'd been holding, he rushed to the wall and began climbing up as fast as he could. Unfortunately, Tom wasn't known for his athletic prowess, and there really wasn't much to hold on to. When he was very nearly to Harry, he felt himself start to slip, so he did the only thing his frenzied mind could think of.

He stretched his arm up just that little bit and clamped his hand around Harry's foot. When he fell back, Harry fell with him, and Tom adjusted his hold in the few seconds he had so Harry wouldn't get hurt.

As the cold stone slammed into his back, Tom kept his gaze on Harry's wings, watching as they again unfurled and then stuck straight out behind their owner.

And then they quite literally and abruptly split apart, the bright red feathers disappearing into nothingness.

The red glow around Harry faded, and he fell limp in Tom's arms as Tom himself sat up, forcing down the need to cry out at the pain in his back. He looked down at Harry. He was warm, but...

He was pale, and still, and unbreathing.

Remus knelt in front of him.

"Please, let me see him? I need to make sure he isn't..."

Tom nodded. Harry had a close relationship with Remus and his partner Sirius, who was currently hovering over them.

Remus placed a hand on Harry's forehead, and for a moment, his fingertips glowed golden. Afterwards, he relaxed a little.

"...he's still alive," he said, relief coloring his tone, "but...those feathers...they are the pieces of his soul. Without them...without those feathers, Harry will just be an empty husk."

For once, Sirius looked genuinely worried. "But how do we get them back, Moony? You saw them disappear."

Remus smiled.

"No...souls don't just disappear- even when they're mere fragments. They must've scattered to another world."

"Well then send us there! I won't let Harry die!"

Remus shook his head.

"No. We're needed with James and Lily." He looked at Tom again with serious eyes.

"It has to be you," he said, then continued before Sirius could voice the protest on the tip of his tongue, "because you and Harry are already partially bonded, and even though the ritual wasn't a total success, the magic that was used seems fond of him, and thus you by association."

Remus stood back up, prompting Tom to do the same.

"I have a friend who can help you travel through worlds to find the feathers. I'll send you to her now- tell the Dimensional Witch Moony sent you."

And before Tom could say anything, Remus waved his hand in a complex gesture, and they were gone.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **~Càthar~**_

From a pool of water, Draco Lucius Malfoy, Highest Light Wizard of Càthar, crawled out and onto the marble floor where his mother Narcissa sat with his clothes.

He quickly redressed and looked back into the pool, where his regretfully insane mentor lay in a crystalline sarcophagus.

It was a shame the good Salazar Slytherin had to go down such a path, but at least Draco was able to keep things from worsening.

He felt the weight of his fur cloak being draped around his shoulders.

He turned and let Narcissa fasten it tightly over his chest, all the while trying not to look into her eyes that would no doubt be begging him to stay.

"Must you leave so quickly, my son?"

"You know I must, mother. The curse will destroy this world if I stay- you know that."

Her frown turned up into a sad, resigned smile.

"Yes, I suppose I _do_ already know. But a mother always worries for her son." She leaned up and pecked his cheek, pressing his staff into his hand.

"Be safe, my dragon."

Saying nothing- because he couldn't promise anything- Draco used his staff to trace runes in the air before him.

In a puff of smoke, he vanished.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **~Maurus~**_

A chilling, bloodthirsty laugh pierced the night sky. Helga sighed, for she knew it well. She turned to her friend and advisor.

"Rowena? Could you escort Godric here, please?"

"Of course, my lady."

Quickly, Rowena disappeared, as if she'd never been there at all. Just as quickly, she returned, holding a grumbling Godric by the ear as if they'd both always been there. The black haired woman released him, watching him fall onto the floor due to the excess momentum from his struggling, and returned to her place by Helga's side.

"Godric." That word, spoken by Helga, was enough for him to shut up. "I understand you still want to get stronger, yes?"

He didn't stand, but he did look rather proud of himself. "Of course- how else would I protect you?"

Helga smiled, shining bright like the sun, and discreetly moved her hands. The floor opened up into a pool of swirling red and black, and red tendrils of magic grabbed Godric's ankles. He struggled fruitlessly against them.

"Wh-what the-?! What'd you do to me!?"

Helga's eyes took on a mournful expression.

"I'm afraid there's no one else here that's stronger than you Godric. So I'm sending you to other worlds so you can get even stronger."

He'd sunken into the pool, so only everything above his waist was visible.

He started cursing, but Helga paid it no mind. She gestured again with her hands, and a ring of magic sunk itself into Godric's forehead. A curse to prevent him from committing needless acts of violence. She knew he'd recognize it once he calmed down.

He vanished, and Rowena looked at Helga curiously.

"Are you sure that was wise?"

Helga solemnly nodded her head.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 _ **-Luna's Shop Of Wishes~**_

The rain fell in steady trails down the windows.

Luna Xenophillius Pandora Lovegood stood outside on the porch.

 _They_ would be arriving soon.


	2. Once Upon A Time There Was You and Me

**Once Upon a Time There Was You and Me**

 _OooOooOooOooO_

The Dimensional Witch appraised her foretold guests. They were exactly as her visions had described.

"They're finally here," she announced.

She heard Rolf retreat further into the shop and decided she'd wait for him to come back before she began the exchange.

Just as she'd expected, he was back in only a minute.

The dark-haired man was the first to meet her eyes, and in his crimson gaze, she could immediately see he knew who she was and what power she held.

She spoke first.

"Remus must have sent you," she said, still looking at him. She switched her gaze to the redhead.

"And Helga must've been the one to bring you here. Or perhaps it was Rowena. Either one would do, I suppose," she looked to the blond one- the Malfoy, but not the one she was familiar with, "and you…have you come here of your own volition?"

He nodded sharply.

"I have. I am Draco Lucius Malfoy, former student of Salazar Slytherin and High Light Wizard of Càrath," he said, as if that explained everything- and it did, at least to her.

She turned to the red-haired man again.

"And you are Godric Gryffindor, are you not?"

"Yeah, I am."

She nodded, acknowledging, and then moved her gaze again to Tom.

"I know you. You are Tom Riddle. But that boy whom you hold so closely- I do not know him. What is his name?"

Tom hesitated for only a moment.

"He is Hadrian Evan-Potter."

"I see."

She stared away into the space between the three of them and spoke again, addressing them all.

"All of you have a wish, and that is why you are here, isn't it?"

They all nodded.

Godric spoke without any prompting.

"I wanna get back home!"

Luna frowned at the bitterness in his voice and looked at Tom pointedly.

"You want to travel to various worlds to collect Hadrian's feathers," she stated.

"Yes. Please help, if you can."

She graced him with a small smile as thanks for his polite response and then turned to Draco.

"And what of you, Malfoy? What is your wish?"

He fixed her with a demanding look.

"I just don't ever want to return to the world I came from."

Luna closed her eyes for a moment.

"I see. So, in short, all of you wishes are the same. You-" she pointed to Godric "- want to return to your world, different from this. You-" she pointed to Tom now "- want to collect memory fragments that've scattered across various worlds, and you-" she pointed finally to Draco "- want to travel to worlds other than your homeland. All of these I can grant, but only if you all agree to certain conditions."

She returned her gaze to Godric.

"From you, I want your sword-"

"No way in Hell, witch! I'm never giving up my sword to anyone!"

Luna smiled again.

"Well, in that case, 'No way in Hell' will you be able to return to your world. So-" she poked his cheek- "what'll it be?"

He gave her a withering look, and saw she wasn't going to relent. So he reluctantly pulled out his sword and gave it one last parting squeeze around the hilt before holding it out.

"You can bet I'll be back for this! So until then, you'd better take care of it!"

"I will," she promised.

She then turned to Draco, looking into his icy blue eyes.

"From you, I want the tattoo on your back."

He flinched and took on a nervous expression.

"Are you sure you really want it? Wouldn't you rather take this staff? I'm sure it would suit you nicely."

She gave him a sympathetic look.

"The price for interdimensional travel must be that which is most precious to you. Such are the laws of Fate."

The blond man sighed.

"Very well."

The binding tattoo lifted itself painlessly from his skin, and floated so it was now hovering beside Luna. His eyes, no longer shining with the seal's magic, were a stormy grey now, rather than blue.

The witch faced Tom at last and gave him a pitying look.

"Who is Hadrian to you?"

Tom had memories then, of the boy's fearful look when he first saw him (but not vice versa), quickly replaced by the excited and thankful smile he wore as he agreed to become his soul mate. He remembered those few days spent unintentionally forming a friendship with him- that was by now certainly something more on his end-and he even remembered the little things he'd seen Harry do before he kidnapped him.

So many things he could've said, but all he said was:

"He is the prince of my world and someone dear to me."

"I see. Then, as your price, I want your relationship with him."

He gave her a blank look, so she started to explain exactly what that meant.

No matter how many feathers you get, and no matter how many memories he gets back, Harry will never remember you as who you are. Any past relationship you two have had will have become nonexistent. Do you accept this as payment?"

It wasn't like they'd known each other very long to begin with, so Tom figured there wouldn't be much of an impact as far as that went.

He nodded resolutely and heard a faint chime.

Rolf handed something to Luna- from Tom's perspective, it looked like a ball of light grey…something.

"This is Mokona. He will serve as your guide and transportation between worlds, but he cannot control which worlds you go to. You will land in worlds completely unfamiliar to you. Some will be at war. Some will be devoid of life altogether. People you know and whoever you meet in previous worlds, you will see again and again throughout your journey, and they will lead different lives with no knowledge of who you are. It will be long and inevitably there will be heartache. Do you still wish to do this?"

Three nods confirmed it, and the light grey Mokona flew from her arms and hovered above Tom's head.

Godric eyed the dark grey one in Rolf's arms.

"Hey! If you have another one then hand it over!"

Luna almost chuckled. Almost.

"That one is solely for us to communicate," she explained. Godric huffed and Luna turned her back to the grey sky.

"Mokona. Guide them well."

"You got it Luna! Mokona Modoki Modoki-Doki! Haaaaa-PUUUUUU!"

Giant wings sprouted from the rabbit-looking-thing's back and closed around the small group. In a flash of multicolored lights, they were gone, taking the rain with them.

Luna took a few minutes to feel the sun's warmth on her back.

"…Let them find happiness on their journey."

 _OooOooOooOooO_

 **~The Interdimensional Void~**

The four of them floated relatively close to each other, though Harry was still unconscious. Tom resisted the urge to grab the boy and hold him close, for the equally strong desire not to appear weak and sentimental in front of these strangers.

A bright light shone in the very corners of his vision, and wary of danger, he maneuvered himself and Harry so the latter was floating horizontally behind him, shielded by his arms.

The light took on the form of a large silver serpent.

"I am for the heroes who control lightning. Not even the strikes of my bolts are happenstance. Your ambitions are strong. Wield my power well."

The serpent vanished with a crackle of electricity, but the lingering hiss resounded in Tom's ears.

He closed his eyes.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

And then he was greeted with a furry face getting much too close to his own.

"Pupupu! Morning sunshine!"

That high pitched voice was annoying, and he batted the source of it away.

Mokona landed on Godric's knee with tears in…what passed for its eyes.

"Upu! Tom's not playing the game at all!"

Draco sighed and Tom sat up and eyed Harry, who was laying next to him.

Draco scrutinized him and saw something sticking to his cloak- something that clearly didn't belong.

Without even asking, the blond leaned forward and reached into the man's cloak, ignoring his startled protest, and pulled out a feather. It was glowing with a unique red light, and there was a strange pattern on it which, in its most basic form- because it was more complex than that- was a circle inside a triangle, bisected by a single line.

But the thing was positively radiating magic energy.

"A…feather? I wonder if this is one of those the witch mentioned…" Draco mused before handing it to an incredulous Tom.

"I don't much care for such intimacy, Malfoy," he said icily before turning to Harry.

His body was cold as ice.

He wasn't sure how to properly return the feather, and spent a moment pondering that, idly putting a hand to Harry's chest to check for a pulse. His other hand, still holding the feather, came to join it, and as soon as it got close, the feather was absorbed into Harry's body.

"Well. I suppose that's one dilemma taken care of…" muttered the man, feeling Harry grow warmer under his touch.

That was good.


	3. Ship of Fools

**Ship of Fools**

 _OooOooOooOooO_

For a moment, there was silence, akin to that which comes either just before or just after a storm.

Then Mokona spoke up again.

"Ne, ne, we haven't introduced ourselves yet!"

Godric, who'd been mostly silent till now, huffed.

"And? It's not like there's really a _need_ for us to really know each other that well."

Draco gave him a somewhat inquisitive look.

"hm? Speak for yourself. I think it would be very useful to get to know all you 'that well'. Especially-" he looked over at Tom and then down at the boy"- Harry, was it? Yes. He just has a certain…aura about him, and it's showing, even like this. But my, I'm getting ahead of myself."

He stood up, moving gracefully and lightly.

"I am Draco Lucius Malfoy," he pointed to the redhead just feet away from him, "and you are?"

"Godric," he reluctantly acquiesced.

Draco raised a brow.

"As in 'Godric Gryffindor'?"

It was Godric's turn to raise a brow.

"Eh? Yeah. How'd you guess?"

Draco hummed. "Peculiar, really. In my world, you were a friend of my mentor before you died. I suppose it's just a little surprising to actually see you pre-mortem."

The swordsman gave a noncommittal hum in acknowledgement and then looked over at Tom, who was still looking down at his unconscious…something. He was unsure what those two were.

"What about you?"

Tom stiffened and looked up at him.

"Beg pardon?"

"You. What's your story?"

He closed his eyes.

"My 'story' is hardly any of your concern-"

"Oh, but it is if we're going to be traveling together," interrupted Draco. Tom silenced him with a look, but reluctantly acquiesced to his logic.

It wasn't like he had to tell them every last detail, anyway.

"In my world, I am Lord Voldemort, and he," he looked down again at Harry, "is Prince Hadrian James Potter. To end a war between our kingdoms, we decided to perform a certain ritual to bond our souls. However, the people of his kingdom were under the impression I kidnapped him-like I'd really stoop so low- and interrupted the ritual. As a result, his memories- the fragments of his soul- were scattered across dimensions."

He ran an idle hand through Harry's messy black hair, putting the boy's head in his lap.

"And if I don't retrieve them, there's a chance my own soul will be in jeopardy as well."

As he finished, Mokona jumped so xie was on Harry's chest.

"Mokona understands now! In that case, Mokona won't leave till we get a feather back!"

Draco nodded.

"Yes. I believe I shall help find the feathers, as well."

Their conversation was interrupted as the sound of rushed footsteps drew within their hearing range. The running figure was a bit on the chubby side, with dark blond hair and hazel eyes. He was huffing for breath by the time he reached them.

"Whew! It's…it's about time I found you! Come on…we…we have to go now, before it starts!"

"'It'? What're you goin' on about, kid?" asked Godric.

"No time to explain! Just come on!"

But just as the group started to move, there came the sounds of thunder, though the sky was perfectly clear.

The blond boy paled.

"Oh no…we're too late…quick- we gotta find cover!"

He hurriedly led them to a decently sheltered area, right behind a large, abandoned truck, just as two figures jumped down and faced each other.

The first was a man with light skin and mousy brown hair. His eyes were blue, and he and the men with him were dressed in black leather, with spikes and silver collars.

The second man had brown hair as well, but his eyes were grey rather than blue. He and the men and women with him were dressed in brilliant pastel colors, with the only commonly worn item being a scarf, striped yellow and black.

To distract himself from the inevitable fight, the boy turned back to the group of obvious foreigners.

"For a long time, there's been a debate over the strength of thunder versus lightning. To settle things, two separate groups. In one of them, the members' Patronuses were made up of sound waves so strong they could blow up whole buildings. In the other group, the Patronuses were made of electricity. The leaders started up a turf war to determine whether lightning or thunder was stronger."

His gaze went to the fat man in leather.

"That's Peter Pettigrew, though everyone calls him Wormtail. He's really vicious, and would even use civilians against his enemy."

He turned to the people in scarves, focusing on their grey-eyed leader.

"That's Cedric Diggory. He's a real hero! He always does whatever he can to help out the town, whether he can get anything for it or not, and he'd never ever let a civilian get hurt!"

His voice was dripping in admiration, and for a split second, Tom allowed himself a slight smirk.

"And who are you?"

The boy stiffened and his cheeks grew pink in embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm, ah, I'm Neville Longbottom! I was sent to find you guys, but…" he frowned, and the blood receded from his cheeks, "it looks like it'll be hard getting you all to safety. We'll have to wait till those two are done fighting."

"And what'll they use to fight with?" asked Godric.

Neville smiled.

"Isn't it obvious? They fight with their Patronuses."

And Tom, Godric, and Draco peered out to watch the fight.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Cedric Diggory faced Peter Pettigrew. His grey eyes were sharp and reprimanding.

"Wormtail!" he called, his voice hard, "Are you done fighting yet?"

" _Never,_ Diggory! I'm gonna shock you so bad, your grandchildren'll feel it, and then we'll see who's stronger!"

The thinner man sighed.

"Come on, Pete. Stop being so _Petty_!"

He couldn't resist the pun. Pettigrew, unfortunately, didn't appreciate it.

"aaaaaaAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH! MEN! ATTAAACK!"

And then they all held out their fists, and shots of pure electric energy were being let loose, only to be blocked by barriers made up of solid _sound_ , which no one would've noticed if it hadn't been for the sun shimmering off them, and it was absolutely _incredible_.

And then, in the midst of the fight, Tom caught sight of it.

A feather.

Just out in the open, like that, the red glow appearing just that bit brighter and its magic a bit more noticeable now that he knew what it felt like.

He almost suspected a trap, but…no. How could it be? When only he and a select few people, all of whom were with him, knew about them?

He took off running, ignoring Neville's worried protest.

As he ran, he didn't even notice Neville's frog Patronus take shape, accompanied by Mokona's "Mekkyo!"

He _needed_ to get that feather.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Sparks and vibrations flew, missing his running form by mere centimeters.

 _Closer…I need to get closer…_

He kept running.

 _Just barely…!_

He tripped over a wayward stone, his arms flying forward in a desperate attempt to catch hold of that glowing red feather.

He caught it.

And at the moment, a pair of blue eyes caught him.

"A civilian?" questioned one goon.

"GET'IM!" ordered Wormtail.

And a few of his men put together their energy to attack.

"Look out!" he heard Neville call. But he couldn't move out of the way in time.

He curled up into a ball, clutching the feather to his chest as he tried to protect his most vulnerable parts from the brunt of the oncoming electricity. He waited, expecting pain.

But none came.

He opened his eyes just in time to see that a large silver serpent had coiled itself around him and flung the attack back at its casters.

Pettigrew, as Tom finally saw him, looked awed. Tom could hardly blame him. He hadn't expected the snake from his dream to be _real._

Naturally, he said nothing, choosing instead to let the thing curl up and ring itself around his arm.

"Shit! This guy's strong!" cursed Peter under his breath.

"RETREAT!"

And they fled.

With a quick nod of thanks, Tom watched the lightning serpent shrink into a ball of light and then disappear into his chest, making him feel suddenly warm and content.

Then, he began cooling walking back to Harry, until a warm voice stopped him.

"Hey."

He turned.

"'Voldemort', right?"

Tom blinked and his gaze hardened.

"…Yes. What business do you have with me?" he asked coolly.

"Name's Cedric. I'm impressed with you and your Patronus. Yours is lightning," he gestured to his own Patronus, a large, shimmering gold bear, "and mine is Thunder. It'll be interesting to see how they match up. So the next time we meet, I'm going to fight you." He smiled kindly, and Tom felt inclined to nod.

"Good. Well then, till next time."

Cedric and his men jumped away, back into the various corners and nooks and apartment balconies they'd come from, and Tom returned to Harry.

As he carefully placed the feather against Harry's chest and watched it vanish, he only vaguely heard Neville speak.

"Wow! An O-Level Patronus! That's so cool! You must have a really strong heart to have one powerful enough to _reflect_ Wormtail's attacks!"

And so on.

As he resolutely tuned out Neville's idolizing praise, Tom instead focused on another set of approaching footsteps.

" _There_ you are! Neville, you were supposed to bring them over once you found them!" a woman's voice scolded.

"Sorry mum. But-"

"It couldn't be helped," Draco cut him off, "we got caught up in a small fight. No need to worry."

"In any case, I'm glad you're all unharmed. I am Alice, and this is my husband Frank. Luna told us to watch over you while you're here."

Tom nodded, his red eyes searching.

"I see."

Frank smiled as if Tom had made a joke.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

Harry was laying in a simple cot in a simple room, wearing a pair of pajamas Frank had outgrown. Hand-me-downs.

Tom had seated himself beside him, while Draco lounged comfortably in the corner nearest to them, and Godric sat cross-legged in the corner farthest away.

Frank and Alice stood at the doorway to the room, smiling courteously.

"My husband is a Seer, you see," explained Alice, "so that's how we knew where to find you."

Frank nodded in confirmation and turned to face Godric.

"And if I ever See you even looking at my precious wife wrong, I'll kill you and make it look like an accident."

Godric glared. "Why are you only saying that to _me_?!"

Draco blew out a puff of air.

"Stuff it, HippoGryffindor. You should be thankful Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom are even willing to put up with us."

Frank chuckled and made to leave.

"Play nice now~!" sang Alice teasingly, following her husband out.

There was a tense silence.

 _OooOooOooOooO_

"…Oy. Mage."

Draco looked over at Godric. Harry, Mokona, and 'Voldemort'-though he was sure that wasn't his real name- were asleep.

"Yes, God?"

"…Why do you wanna help the kid find his feathers?"

Draco hummed.

"Well, why not? It's not like we're harming anything. We get to explore new worlds longer, possibly even help them with their own problems, for the greater good, but also…when all this is over, they'll owe me a favor. Maybe a few. And…"

He glanced at Harry.

"…I feel a strange connection with Hadrian's soul. Like I already know it, somehow. And the only way to figure _that_ out is to get the feathers."

His eyes, a stormy grey now that the magic from the tattoo was gone, glinted in the moonlight as he looked back at Godric.

"What about you? Have you changed your mind yet? Have you decided to help look for them, as well?"

Godric ignored him, and for once, Draco didn't really care that he wasn't getting attention.


	4. Voices Silently Sing

_**Voices Silently Sing**_

The next morning found Tom, Draco, and Godric standing outside the Longbottoms' boarding house, wearing less foreign clothes. Mokona was tucked safely inside the right breast pocket of Tom's black button-down shirt.

Mokona and Draco had told Tom of another feather earlier that morning, so they'd all agreed to spend the day looking for it.

"All of you be safe out there," said Alice. Frank pressed a small coin-purse into Tom's hands. "Buy yourselves some lunch with this, and have fun."

"Oi! Why're you givin' it to the kid?" "He looks the most trustworthy." "Grr..."

Before Godric could throttle Frank, Draco slapped the back of his head-leaing a good-sized bump- and he and Tom dragged him off as they waved farewell.

＊＊＊＊＊

"So, where do we look first?" Draco was the one to pose the question.

Mokona perked up from its place inside Tom's pocket.

"Mokona knows!" It pointed towards the area they'd landed in the day previous. "Mokona sensed a feather over there, so that's where we should look first!"

"Well, aren't you clever?" Draco remarked with a small smirk.

Tom stared ahead, towards where Mokona was pointing, and frowned.

"Mokona- you said before that you could sense the feathers, right?"

Mokona nodded, "that's right! Boy, you sure have a good memory, Tom!"

"If you can sense them, then...do you sense any feathers in that direction?"

The winged creature frowned, one of its long ears half-bent and the other cocked slightly. "No...Not really. Mokona can sense _something_ , but it's not one of Harry's feathers..." it said finally, apologetically.

"Then why don't we look in a different direction?" Draco suggested. With a nod, Tom began walking towards a main street. Draco quickly followed after him, and for a minute, so did Godric. At least, until he caught something else out the corner of his eye.

Blonde curls, blue eyes, and a slightly plump but very feminine figure.

 _Helga! Maybe now I can get her to lift this damn curse off me!_

He started running towards her.

Draco noticed and began running to stop him. "Hey! Hold it, stupid lion! Don't just go chasing random girls like that!"

With a reluctant sigh, Tom followed. It'd be very inefficient if he was forced to scour this entire world alone, after all.

＊＊＊＊＊

Godric came to a halt in the middle of a large and bustling train station. Quickly, he looked around for Helga. Where did she go?

"Dammit!" He punched a marble pillar, creating a relatively shallow crater in it. Passersby gave him funny looks and not-so-discretely gave him a wide berth. Not like he cared what _they_ thought of him.

The sound of heeled shoes against marble caught his attention, and he looked up just a bit more to see Peter Pettigrew and a couple of his cronies.

"Well well well...look what we have here boys! Heheh- looks like little gingersnap's gotten himself lost!"

He didn't like this guy at all, if not for the crappy nickname then for the feelings in his gut.

"Hey...I got an idea! You, gingie! You seem pretty strong! How's about you join us? An' we can take this whole entire town by storm!"

"Mm how 'bout no?"

Peter called out a giant rat patronus, crackling with electricity. Godric wasn't intimidated though.

Or, he wasn't until he reached for his sword and grasped a handful of air.

"Are you _sure_ you don't wanna come with us?" Peter asked mockingly, "My special patronus can convince you..."

The rat leaped towards Godric, and the redhead just barely managed to avoid being electrocuted.

 _Damn it! There's nothing I can do against 'im! If I use my fists, he'll just fry mej but I don't have my sword on me! Grrr..._

The rat tried again to get at him, and just barely missed.

 _Fuck...guess I gotta run!_

He took off running, nimbly weaving in and out of the pedestrian traffic as Pettigrew's rat chased him.

But he didn't know the area very well, and so it didn't take long for the rat to have him cornered. Godric watched in anticipation as the patronus stalked towards him, taking its time as if it knew he didn't have anywhere to go.

 _Shit! This is-_

A spark of gold caught his attention. No. Not a spark.

 _A fucking_ golden _lion...You're kidding me..._

The lion hunched down before him, nuzzling his knees with its muzzle as it released a low growl. Even though the thing didn't produce actual words, Godric felt as if he could clearly understand what it wanted.

"So...you wanna help me out, eh?"

Rather than nod, the lion condensed into itself and, in an orb of red light, shifted into a sword.

Without needing to be told twice, Godric grabbed at the handgaurd on the hilt, hardly noting that it suited him perfectly and seemed to thrum throughout his entire being, as if it were a literal extension of himself.

Boldly, one might even say recklessly, Godric lifted the sword above his head and launched himself towards Pettigrew's rat patronus, dodging its paws and effortlessly cleaving it in two. It disappeared in a burst of electricity and smoke, and somewhere Peter Pettigrew fell unconscious.

"Well, wasn't that impressive."

Godric looked over his shoulder to see Tom and Draco lazily sauntering up to him, the former being the one who'd spoken.

"Shut it kid. Those idiots only came after me cause they wanted to get to _you_."

Tom hummed, as if Godric had just said it was raining.

"Oh. Well then, if that's all it is, are you ready to rejoin us? The quicker we find the feather, the quicker we can leave."

The redheaded man sighed, exasperated.

"Fiine."

 _OooOooOooOooO_

That night, after Draco had gone to sleep, Godric had tucked himself into a corner while Tom was a short distance away, beside Harry.

"Hey, kid."

The dark-haired youth looked up, startled from his thoughts, "Yes?"

"...go to sleep."

Tom hummed, but leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep regardless of his own inhibitions about sleeping in front of strangers.

It had been a long and certainly unfruitful day.


End file.
